


I Love You If No One Else Does

by Jeniouis



Series: Lessons Learned [7]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Alpha Tony, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Good Father!Howard, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, M/M, Omega Howard, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2014-08-13
Packaged: 2018-02-13 00:41:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2130591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeniouis/pseuds/Jeniouis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony always knew his dad's self-esteem was crushed. He just didn't know how to address it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Love You If No One Else Does

**Author's Note:**

> This was orgininally supposed to be the start of the second chapter in [Be My Jedi Knight](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2063430/) but after I got to the middle, I decided that it didn't fit but I didn't want to delete it either. It proceeds the plot so I posted it here.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it. :) :D

"Daddy, you work too hard. You should take a vacation." Tony said outside his car window as he drove up to his dad's Stark Industries office. His dad rolled his eyes and got in the passenger seat. They were going out for lunch since Tony would be occupied for the next week and after that his dad was going on a business trip. Not that Tony needed an excuse to spend time with his dad anyway.

"I do take vacations." Howard said as he turned off his phone. He always gave Tony his complete attention when they were together.

Tony groaned, "Those aren't vacations daddy. You spend the whole time checking emails, texting Obadiah who by the way, you need to fire."

Howard sighed, "I'm not firing him Tony. He's good at his job." His dad said, becoming fidgety.

"I know he is. It's because he's a manipulative son of a bitch." Tony said, glancing at his dad. He was being to act suspiciously. "What are you hiding?" Tony asked. Howard sighed.

"Nothing Tony." Howard said and Tony pursed his lips in thought, wondering what was going. "It's just that…We'recourting." Howard said quickly. Tony nearly slammed into the guy in front of him, stomping on the brakes just in the nick of time. They guy honked and gave Tony the finger. His dad returned the favor.

Tony couldn't react at all. He was too busy glaring at his dad. Howard squirmed in his seat nervously under Tony's scrutinizing gaze.

"It's a green light baby. Go." Howard said shyly. Tony belatedly noticed the string of relentless honking behind him. He started driving on the yellow light. The red light caught everyone behind him. Tony would have thought that was funny had he not still been in shock.

"Really dad? Really! Obadiah. Of all the people. I could have found you someone. There are plenty of nice professors on campus. Hell, a homeless bum is better than Obie." Tony said, running a hand through his hair. His dad gave him a side glare and sighed.

"I didn't say we were hot and heavy. We've just been on a couple of dates." Howard said as if that changed anything. It was still Obadiah. He was a manipulative fuck and there was no way that Tony was going to ever approve this. His dad deserved someone who was going to take care of him. He never had that. His dad didn't date much while Tony was growing up and the few alphas he did date were assholes. Just like Obadiah. And his childhood had been hellish. Now that Tony was thinking about it, that was probably why his dad couldn’t find a decent alpha; he didn’t what a good alpha was. He never had a good example of one. Which was strange because he raised Tony to be the best alpha he could be.

"No, you need a good alpha. You deserve a good alpha." Tony said and Howard groaned, slumping back in his seat. "If I were an omega, would you let Obadiah date me?" Tony said. His dad became fidgety again.

"He's not that bad baby." Howard said, nicely avoiding Tony's question.

"See, that should be your standard. You shouldn't date anyone you wouldn't let me date." Tony said. He was going to disregard what his dad said all together but there were words that have been bubbling in Tony's stomach since he was fourteen. "And not that bad isn't good enough. You said your last alpha wasn't that bad and he hit you. I don't want to see someone else hurt you." Tony said and Howard winced, looking at the most apologetic, guilty look. Tony sighed and rubbed his cheek. "That's not your fault you just...you don't..." His dad was looking at him expectantly with a quirked eyebrow. "You know who's a great guy. Phil Coulson or hell, even Nick Fury. He's a scary motherfucker but he'd take care of you. You never find good alphas. It's almost like you're attracted to assholes." Tony said. His dad looked at him strangely. That wasn’t what Tony was trying to say. “I mean it’s like you don’t care enough about yourself to find someone who would respect you.” Tony said then cringed because that didn’t sound the way he had meant for it to. “I didn’t mean – I meant-” Tony started, trying to backtrack and find the right words but his dad shook his head.

“No, it’s alright. Is that how you feel darling?” His dad asked him, looking at him with understanding and concern. “I want you to tell me how you really feel.”

Tony sighed and shrugged, “It’s just that…I remember when you were dating Andrew, he would hit you, beat you and you just took it until he hit me. Then you fought back and dumped him but if it’s just you, you’ll just take what you don’t deserve…And you have such _low_ self-esteem. I just wish you could see yourself as everyone else sees you.” Tony finished. He hadn’t meant to say that much but now that he had, he felt a million times better. His dad had listened intently, nodding in understanding. Tony never blamed his dad for any of that stuff, he had only been in his early twenties at the time and he was an omega. No alpha should ever hit an omega.

“I’m sorry you had to see that. You shouldn’t have had to.” His dad said sincerely with so much remorse. Tony pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant they were going to and hugged him.

“That wasn’t your fault; alphas shouldn’t hit their omegas. I’m just worried about you. You won’t protect yourself.” Tony said. Howard sighed and patted his cheek with a sad smile.

"Okay darling, if you want me to break it off with Obadiah, I will." Howard said sincerely and Tony nodded fervently and pulled his cell phone out his pocket, handing it to his dad.

“Yeah, like now. I need to know that this ass is out your life.” Tony said. Howard rolled his eyes but took the phone and immediately dialed Obadiah. Tony listened as his dad told Obie that they needed to break it off and why. He didn’t say it was because Tony wanted him to. He used the old ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ thing. When he hung up, he handed to phone back to Tony.

“Okay and I won’t take on another alpha without letting them meet you and have your approval first.” Howard said sincerely.

Tony smiled wide and kissed his cheek. “You saying that just made my day.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed it. :D
> 
> Please leave feedback and feel free to criticize; I am always looking for opportunities to grow.
> 
> I’ve launched an E-Zine where people submit their favorite fics and the best ones get published in the zine. I’m doing this because I want to create something that acknowledges fanfic writers and makes them feel confident about themselves while bringing people of different fandoms together. To submit your favorite fics, go [Here](https://goo.gl/forms/h0LI8s7WGgZV2gBl1)


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